Borno State Governor Launches Teacher Training Initiative For Improved Education

The Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has launched the initial phase of training for 1,949 teachers identified as trainable, based on a competency test conducted by the state government.

The event, hosted at the Waka Biu College of Education in Biu Local Government Area, signifies a crucial advancement in enhancing the educational standard within the state.

Out of the 15,823 teachers who undertook the competency test, 5,257 passed, 6,227 were deemed trainable despite performing below the required pass mark, and 4,339 were identified as untrainable.

Governor Zulum said that the training, which received a budget allocation of one billion Naira, will eventually benefit 2,730 teachers.

The programme includes a three-month sandwich programme for 1,884 beneficiaries at the College of Education Waka-Biu and Umar Ibn Ibrahim Elkanemi College of Education, Science and Technology, Bama. Additionally, 846 teachers without tertiary qualifications will undergo a full-time NCE programme.

Governor Zulum emphasized that the initiative aimed to uplift the standard of education in Borno State, with participants receiving free training and a monthly stipend of N30,000, alongside their regular salaries. Furthermore, he directed that the 846 teachers enrolled in the full-time NCE programme be granted automatic in-service status.

The ceremony was attended by dignitaries including Senator Mohamed Ali Ndume, Emir of Biu Maidala Mustapha Umar Aliyu II, members of the Borno State House of Assembly, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Lawan Abba Wakilbe, and other senior government officials.

In a separate development, the Borno State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has commended Governor Zulum’s efforts in revamping the education sector.

The State NUT Chairman, Comrade Zali Audu Garba praised the significant progress observed in human and infrastructural development within the education sector under Governor Zulum’s leadership.

Mercy Chukwudiebere